Ex-AAC Stalwarts Square Off in Texas Showdown

Austin, Texas, United States: Former Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) stalwarts Takumi Kanaya and Lucas Herbert will square off in an intriguing showdown at the US$12 million World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play.

Japan’s Kanaya and Australian Herbert both need a victory to keep alive their hopes of progressing beyond the round-robin stage at the Austin Country Club.

On Thursday, Herbert followed up his opening-day victory over Tony Finau by seeing off the challenge of Xander Schauffele, one-up. Meanwhile, Kanaya bounced back from his loss to Schauffele on Wednesday by defeating Finau, also one-up.

It was a courageous performance from the 2018 AAC winner and ex-world number one amateur, who was two-down with four to play but chipped in for birdie from the greenside rough on 15, holed a six-foot birdie to tie the match on 16 and rolled in a 36-footer on 17 to go ahead. Thanks to a closing par, he hung on for a memorable win.

He must now beat Herbert on Friday to force a play-off with the Australian. Schauffele can make it a three-way play-off if he overcomes Finau in his final Group 7 match.

Kanaya, a three-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour, said: “Tony and I played well but I happened to find a little bit of luck in the end which was the difference.

“It was a tight match all the way to the end but I never gave up. Coming out on top gives me more confidence and hopefully I can continue playing well and carry that momentum into my match tomorrow.”

For his part, Herbert was one-up at the turn, but Schauffele won the 10th with a birdie and tacked on wins at the next two holes when Herbert deposited two approaches into water. Herbert wasn’t driving it well, but his short game kept him in the match.

“I wanted to keep pushing him the whole way. Just had to try and at least if I was going to lose, make it a contest. Fortunately, I got myself back into the match and gave myself a chance down 18 and played quite nicely,” said Herbert, who had top-12 finishes in all three of his AAC appearances (2013, 2014 and 2015).

There were mixed fortunes on day two for two other former AAC participants – Australian Min Woo Lee and Korean Kim Si-woo.

In a back-and-forth battle with Thomas Pieters, 23-year-old Lee had the last laugh with wins on three of the last four holes, staying alive into Friday competition.

Lee started fast with two birdies in the first three holes to take a two-up advantage, but Pieters rallied with four consecutive holes won en route to a two-up lead at the turn. Lee struck back with three consecutive birdies on holes 10-12, winning two of the three holes to pull even.

Pieters won 13 with a par and 14 with a birdie to once again assume a two-up lead into the finishing four-hole stretch. But Lee wasn’t done. He won 15 with a 24-foot birdie and also the par-five 16th with a 17-foot eagle from the front fringe to draw even.

Lee won the short 17th with a par after Pieters found the penalty area off the tee, and when Pieters’ 13-foot birdie try at 18 slid by, Lee had secured the match point.

Pieters will aim to shake off the loss in a Friday match against Billy Horschel. If Pieters wins and Lee defeats Tom Hoge, there will be a three-man play-off (Horschel, Pieters, Lee) for the right to advance to the Round of 16.

Kim, whose best finish in the tournament was a Round of 16 appearance in 2018, fought tooth-and-nail with English Ryder Cup star Tyrell Hatton before losing one-down after making bogey on the 18th following a wayward drive.

The three-time PGA Tour winner must now beat South African Christian Beizuidenhout in his final group match and hope for Daniel Berger to defeat Hatton in the other Group 13 match which would ensure a three-way play-off for a place in the Round of 16.